Usefulness of dump trailer?

[blunosr]

Hi, I'm designing and thinking of building a dump trailer to tow with my tractor (Kubota MX5000, 50hp, 4wd). I have a very small gravel pit on my land, and I thought it would be better to haul gravel in a trailer, than just bucketfuls. Now that I'm starting to consider materials and price, I'm also considering the price of having gravel delivered ($75/dump truck load). Hmm...

Are there lots of uses for dump trailers? For any of you who have one, how often do you use it? Would it be worth the cost of building ($1000-1500)?

I'm planning one like this one:
2 Ton Farm Dump Trailer - YouTube


Thanks,

Troy

 

[Grandad4]

That thought passed through my head once or twice also. The biggest issue I had was it seemed like a big hassle if the tractor you pull with is also the one with the FEL on the front since you'd need to unhitch/re-hitch for every load. Figured my place is small enough it's about as easy to move stuff one bucket at a time.

The trailer would let you move material to/from places a dump truck couldn't go, or for longer distances. But if you can get material delivered for $75/load, that's a great bargain.

 

[KYDan]

Whether or not is a financial viable investment only you can decide. I have an EZ Dumper 4 ton trailer (tandem wheels) that I bought about 15-16 years ago. I haul gravel and spread it on my driveways and I am using it to mine dirt and soil for the runway that I have. I have added about 250' so far with this trailer and a Kubota L2900 FEL & backhoe. I sold the 2900 this August and bought an MX 5100 HST 4WD without a backhoe. The 3 pt. backhoes just don't have the reach I require, so rent I a full size one or a trackhoe. I would not trade my tractor or the dumper for anything except a new MB SLS AMG! I do tow the dump trailer with my MX, it was too much of a load for the 2900. I have been cleaning one of my ponds this year with the MX and then composting the muck for topsoil to use on the runway and other areas. The dump trailer is great for hauling large loads of whatever. I have tiedown rings installed in it so I can transport a lot of stuff. It has fold down sides that allow egress from the sides. This is very helpful for unloading pallets of sod. The trailer has dual hydraulic cylinders which allow me to dump on an angle if necessary as I don't have to worry about binding. For me it was an easy decision, the fun of the do it yourself factor and no dependency upon the trucking industry for hauling my rock, etc. If we break down everything that we have based upon cost most of it would be more financially effective to rent or pay someone else to do it.

 

[blunosr]

I should have clarified, I also have a bobcat to load the trailer with. The furthest I'd have to haul is 2500' one way. This summer I hauled about 20 bucket loads of gravel to make a pad for my wood shed, and I have lots of other re-contouring projects in mind. That's what got me to thinking about this.

Bye for now,

 

[amigauser]

Since your tractor can handle it, I would go with a dump trailer that can be used both on and off road. Much more practicle and better resale then an off road only type. There are always ones for sale on Craigslist, at least in the New England area. I personally would look for a good used one.

 

[lstinthot]

Are there lots of uses for dump trailers? For any of you who have one, how often do you use it? Would it be worth the cost of building ($1000-1500)?

I'm planning one like this one:
2 Ton Farm Dump Trailer - YouTube


Thanks,

Troy

I like that one in the video, are you thinking you could build one like that for ~$1500? Do you have plans or just going to make them up as you go? I may have to build one like that myself.

Mike

 

[tcreeley]

Years ago I made a gravity dump trailer from some galvanized guard rail, old cut out axle from a car, and pressure treated wood for the bed. 6x6x2 I would load it with my mini backhoe and haul it and spread it with my '48 Farmall cub. It dumped nicely sitting above the tires and pivoting to dump when I unlocked the body. I had old spare doughnut tires on it. I used it to build a road around my barn.

 

[jenkinsph]

Since your tractor can handle it, I would go with a dump trailer that can be used both on and off road. Much more practicle and better resale then an off road only type. There are always ones for sale on Craigslist, at least in the New England area. I personally would look for a good used one.

I will second looking for a good used one. I bought a PJ 6.5x14' 14,000 lb dump trailer in like new condition (paint still in great shape in bed) for $4000. this spring. That is about 1/2 the cost of new, couldn't build it for that with free labor.

 

[ametcalf]

I bought a great 14' dump wagon on Craig's list last summer for $800 and I use it a lot. A friend about a mile away gave me some great top soil from dredging a pond. I needed it to cover fill dirt from our house construction in an area that we want to garden. After I got that spread I went about 4 miles and got 2 year old horse manure that looks more like dirt than manure. We have also allowed leaves and chips to be dumped in piles to compost on our land and that is getting in pretty good shape now so we hauled several wagon loads of that material for large flower beds. At $800 if I ever get to the point that I am not using it I can always get my money out of it. In our area 12 to 14 foot dump wagons sell on Craig's list for $600 to $1500 dollars. The dump and bed part are mounted on a farm wagon so top speed behind the pickup is about 25 miles an hour.

 

[MHarryE]

I have a 7,500 gvw dump trailer. I started hauling from my sister's gravel pit 4 miles away, but even hauling with my pickup I eventually figured it was better to pay a neighbor $80 for a 12 yard load vs making 8 trailer trips to haul the same. I still find a lot of use for the general hauling trash, old hay, manure for my garden, and it also holds my 2 ton mini-excavator so I can have my tractor, mini, and trailer on a job site.

 

[bcp]

A trailer, especially pulled by a tractor, can get into places where a full-sized dump truck can't even get close.

Bruce

 

[CurlyDave]

I have a 4-ton payload, 5-ton gross weight, dump trailer I pull with my pickup.

There are a lot more guys with a pickup and a tractor than with two tractors. I used it at least once a week building my house, which more than paid for it. If I only use it 3-4 times a year for the rest of my life it has paid for itself. I suspect I will be using it about once per month without a house to build, just for hauling landscape supplies.

 

[wedge40]

I watched the video and at the end I have one question? Why didn't he just get the original load dumped where he was moving it to?

 

[blunosr]

The road type trailer is a serious consideration, especially when I consider using it to haul my bobcat around too. And I was leaning that way a year ago. I was just thinking of something small that I could use to build trails, do little bits of landscaping/gardening, etc. But during design, it looks like something the size of a short bed truck box... I didn't realize I would have to have one that big.

Ametcalf, I really like that hay wagon type you have and I'm shocked that it carries that much load. That must be 10 yards of soil, or more!

Tcreeley, when I started thinking about a small one for behind the tractor, I was thinking gravity dump with a wooden, or light weight box. Do you find tipping it back up is a problem? Photos?
How big did you make it?

Thanks,

Troy

 

[ametcalf]

............
Ametcalf, I really like that hay wagon type you have and I'm shocked that it carries that much load. That must be 10 yards of soil, or more!..........

When it quits raining I will try to go out behind the barn and get some measurements. Actually I'm not sure how much it might have weighed. That load was two year old decomposed horse manure which you would think of as being a lot lighter than dirt but it was extremely wet which added a lot to the weight. I do know that by looking at the tires you knew there was a lot of weight on the wagon. When I saw the wagon on Craig's list I jumped right away because I thought it was a once in a lifetime chance. I was surprised as I watched through the summer that 2 or 3 more came up within that price range. By your original post I am assuming you have the skills to build one. It really doesn't look too complicated. If you would like me to, I would be glad to post some pictures of how it is constructed. If I were to build one I would spend the extra money and get a wagon that doesn't weave as much when pulled behind a pickup. This wagon has real loose steering. It does ok behind the tractor but the tires are limited to about 25 miles per hour. You can't go faster than that anyway because this wagon starts to weave too much. I bought the wagon about 40 miles from here and it took a long time to get home.
Arvid

 

[blunosr]

Here's a really interesting design. I could scale it up to haul heavier weight...

MIGHTY MUTS Utility Trailers.wmv - YouTube

Another video of that same trailer:

Trailer EMU Trolla.mp4 - YouTube

Hmm...

 

[OldMcDonald]

I have a 45hp NH that lifts a ton and a quarter in a tpl box. Your tractor should lift about a ton and a half I think. Why go to the expense of a dump trailer (and the cost of running the bobcat) that is little bigger than you can load and lift with your box? I assume you have a box. If not you can fabricate one very cheaply that is capable of tipping. I have a solid floored one that I muck out livestock sheds with, tipping in heaps or spreading as required, and a re-bar one that I made for picking up windrowed stones when land clearing. The solid floored one is permanently on the tractor unless I want to use another implement/piece of equipment. It has some use probably about 5 days a week.

On the other hand, since you have the bobcat for loading, if you feel the need for it you could go for a decent sized used trailer that other posters have suggested, but I think a small one is an uneconomic proposition.

 

[bcp]

I have a 45hp NH that lifts a ton and a quarter in a tpl box. Your tractor should lift about a ton and a half I think. Why go to the expense of a dump trailer (and the cost of running the bobcat) that is little bigger than you can load and lift with your box?

I've never seen one of those, just the small scoops.

tipping transport box

 

[Botabill]

I have a 3.5 ton on road type dump trailer. I haul everything in it including my tractor. It was a great investment and I wouldn't be without it.

 

[bigballer]

i have been considering buying a 10-14k dump trailer to haul gravel from the local quarry and am trying to figure out what else i could use it for. in my area gravel costs around $300 for 14 ton dump truck load and figure i could get around 27 dump truck loads for the cost of the trailer, of course in the end i wouldn't have the trailer. if i could figure out what else i could do with it i might be worth it. as it stands now, i borrow my neighbors trailer on occasion when i need a small load of gravel but i don't really like borrowing others stuff..